ON DRESSING RACE-HORSES. 245 



try what he can do with a rubber, a soft damp sponge, 

 or his hand ; or after he has finished dressing his 

 horse, and has clothed him up, he may then try 

 to clean those parts. I have known some horses, 

 when clothed, stand perfectly quiet to be cleaned 

 about the upper part of their thighs, which would 

 not otherwise allow such being done. The horse's 

 quarters being dressed, that is, wisped, brushed, 

 and wiped over, his saddle and clothes should be 

 taken off; but previously to doing this, it may be 

 advisable to put on his boots, to prevent his injur- 

 ing his legs by striking them : for it often happens 

 that the horse becomes most irritable when a boy 

 is working at his body ; and in ranging about in 

 the stall, as I have before observed, kicking and 

 lashing out with hind legs, pawing, striking, and 

 stamping with his fore legs, a horse will occasionally 

 strike one of his feet against the opposite leg. If he 

 has not boots on to ward off the blow, the leg will 

 swell, which may oblige the groom (although perhaps 

 very inconveniently) to stop his work, or run the risk 

 of the horse going lame. 



Another thing to be observed in a young boy 

 who is not much accustomed to dressing a horse 

 of this description, is his temper. He must be 

 strictly cautioned not to suffer passion to get the 

 better of his reason ; if it should, and the groom 

 not be by at the time, he will be very likely to abuse 

 his horse by striking or kicking him in the belly, 



